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About the Office

United States Attorney's Office

The United States Attorney’s Office is charged with enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut, and with representing the federal government in civil litigation in the District. The District is composed of approxmately 68 Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) and approximately 57 staff members at offices in New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut is one of the nation’s oldest. Pierrepont Edwards, Connecticut’s first United States Attorney, was appointed by President George Washington in 1789.

Today, John H. Durham serves as the District’s 52nd United States Attorney.

United States Attorneys for The District of Connecticut

1

Pierpont Edwards

1789 - 1806

2

Hesekiah Huntington

1806 - 1829

3

Nathan Smith

1829

4

Asa Child

1829 - 1834

5

William S. Holabird

1834 - 1841

6

Charles Chapman

1841 - 1844

7

Jonathan Stoddard

1844 - 1849

8

Thomas C. Perkins

1849 - 1853

9

Elisha S. Abernethy

1853

10

William D. Shipman

1853 - 1860

11

Tilton E. Doolittle

1860 - 1861

12

Hiram Willey

1861 - 1870

13

Calvin G. Child

1870 - 1880

14

Daniel Chadwick

1880 - 1884

15

Lewis E. Stanton

1884 - 1888

16

George G. Sill

1888 - 1892

17

George P. McLean

1892 - 1896

18

Charles W. Comstock

1896 - 1900

19

Francis H. Parker

1900 - 1908

20

John T. Robinson

1908 - 1912

21

Frederick A. Scott

1912 - 1915

22

Thomas J. Spellacy

1915 - 1918

23

John F. Crosby

1918 - 1919

24

Edward H. Smith

1919 - 1923

25

Allan K. Smith

1923 - 1924

26

John Buckley

1924 - 1933

27

Frank S. Bergin

1933 - 1934

28

George H. Cohen

1934

29

Robert P. Butler

1934 - 1945

30

Adrian W. Maher

1945 - 1953

31

Simon S. Cohen

1953 - 1958

32

Harry W. Hultgren, Jr.

1958 - 1961

33

Robert C. Zampano

1961 - 1964

34

F. Owen Eagan

1964

35

Jon O. Newman

1964 - 1969

36

Stewart H. Jones

1969 - 1974

37

Harold J. Pickerstein

1974

38

Peter C. Dorsey

1974 - 1977

39

Richard Blumenthal

1977 - 1981

40

Alan H. Nevas

1981 - 1985

41

Stanley A. Twardy, Jr

1985 - 1991

42

Richard Palmer

1991

43

Albert S. Dabrowski

1991 - 1993

44

Christopher F. Droney

1993 - 1997

45

John H. Durham

1997 - 1998

46

Stephen C. Robinson

1998 - 2001

47

John A. Danaher III

2001 - 2002

48

Kevin J. O’Connor

2002 - 2008

49

Nora R. Dannehy

2008 - 2010

50

David B. Fein

2010 - 2013

51

Deirdre M. Daly

2013 - 2017

52

John H. Durham

2017 - Present

United States Attorney's Office Alumni

Many former United States Attorneys and Assistant United States Attorneys have continued their distinguished careers in public service after leaving the Office. A number of former members of the Office have served or are serving in a variety of important federal and state public offices.

Members of the Judiciary

Former U.S. Attorneys Jon O. Newman and Christopher F. Droney presently serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Prior to their appointment to the Court of Appeals, both served as U.S. District Judges in Connecticut.

Other former U.S. Attorneys who have gone on to serve as U.S. District Judges in Connecticut include:

Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Alker Meyer currently serves as a U.S. District Judge in Connecticut.

Additionally, former U.S. Attorney Stephen C. Robinson served as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Former U.S. Attorney Albert S. Dabrowski served as the Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge for the District of Connecticut, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Deirdre A. Martini served as the United States Trustee for the Second Circuit.

Alumni who have gone on to become U.S. Magistrate Judges in Connecticut include:

Appointed Positions

Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys have served in important law enforcement positions, both nationally and in Connecticut. After leaving office, Thomas J. Spellacy served as an Assistant Attorney General of the United States and Assistant Secretary of the Navy. David Margolis served as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Paul Coffey became Chief of the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington. Leonard Boyle served as Commissioner of Public Safety in Connecticut, Director of the National Terrorist Screening Center in Washington, and Connecticut’s Deputy Chief State’s Attorney. Andrew B. Bowman served as Federal Public Defender for Connecticut. John A. Connolly served as State’s Attorney for Waterbury, Connecticut. Arnold Markle, went on to serve for many years as the State's Attorney for New Haven. Nora R. Dannehy served as Deputy Attorney General for the State of Connecticut.

After serving as U.S. Attorney, Stanley A. Twardy, Jr. served as Chief of Staff to former Connecticut Governor Lowell P. Weicker, and Kevin J. O’Connor served as Chief of Staff to the Attorney General, and then as Associate Attorney General of the United States, the third-ranking position within the Department of Justice.

Elected Positions

U.S. Attorney Nathan Smith went on to serve as U.S. Senator in Connecticut, and U.S. Attorney Richard Blumenthal served five terms as Attorney General for the State of Connecticut and now serves as U.S. Senator. Thomas J. Spellacy was elected Mayor of Hartford, Connecticut in 1935.

Alumni Association

There is an active Alumni Association of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. In addition to hosting an annual dinner for all alumni, the Alumni Association is currently compiling a history of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut. Anyone interested in assisting in this project or joining the Alumni Association is encouraged to contact former United States Attorney Stanley A. Twardy, Jr. at satwardy@daypitney.com.